Woodbridge is popular as a book author and writer in British garden journals; he contributed the France section in the Oxford Companion to Gardens, a subject he further explores in this comprehensive volume. Scholars as well as general readers who share the author's passion for France's antique glories will find the book indispensable. Woodbridge provides information on famous parks and gardens created in France going back to the 15th century, the Italian influence on designers, the wide differences between English and French gardens, etc. Black-and-white photos of restored sites and drawings of vanished plots illustrate the book. While unexciting, the photos effectively document the scholarly, impeccably organized and well-written text. (June 9)